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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26389039">It's Like These People Are Born Bad</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofiutt/pseuds/ofiutt'>ofiutt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Old Married Couple, Tragic Romance, and they fight like it too, jealousy but in terms of light humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:35:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,825</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26389039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofiutt/pseuds/ofiutt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“It happened so fast. Everything's gonna be different now.” The Prince grazed an arm across Roku’s back in an effort to console him. “So what if the wedding got called off? We’re still writing to each other.” Sozin smiled, lowering his head to peer at the taller boy’s expression with scrutiny and was met with a guise of desperation; reddened eyes and a very discernible wretched frown panging themselves through Sozin’s heart.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Roku/Sozin (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's Like These People Are Born Bad</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Aang gawked at the sight of the young men in revelation and averted his gaze to Roku. “You were friends with Fire Lord Sozin?” The older man smiled. “Back then, he was just Prince Sozin,” he turned to face the subjects of his memory, “and he was the love of my life.”</em>
</p><p>A girl walked by Sozin and Roku on their way to leave the courtyard, the latter conspicuously staring at her to the indignance of Sozin. The Prince grimaced and twisted his face away until a smirk emerged from his expression as he glanced back at Roku. He paused his stroll and abruptly jerked an ankle in front of the taller boy’s feet, tripping him.</p><p>Roku hoisted his upper body off the ground almost instantly and looked behind him. “What was that for?” Sozin halfway tittered. “Teach you to look at someone else besides me that way!” The girl, now behind them, glanced back to the sound of the remark and giggled as she continued walking. Roku sighed, twisting his body to face the Prince as he remained on the ground. The latter sat beside him and ripped out multiple blades of grass, sprinkling them on Roku's face.</p><p>
 <em>“Love is hard when you are young.” The monk sighed in retrospect. “You don’t have to tell me.” Roku placed a hand over his shoulder. “Don't worry, it gets better.” He turned around to face a new panorama of his past. “Now, come with me. We have a party to attend.” Both Avatars were confronted with a view of what seemed to be a festivity strewed across the courtyard. “Wait, whose party is it?” Aang asked. Roku peered beyond the crowd until spotting Sozin and his younger self laughing afar from them. “Sozin and I’s. We were celebrating our engagement.”</em>
</p><p>Fazed by uneasiness in front of the assemblage, Roku fretfully walked down the stairs with Sozin until he suddenly tripped. Fortunately the latter quickly grabbed Roku by the hand to break his fall and Roku composed himself, face flushed from embarrassment as Sozin laughed at his betrothed. A hush sweeped the crowd of their elated chatter when a group of Fire Sages entered the courtyard, walking towards Roku and the Prince.</p><p>Sozin scurries over to the elderly men. “Did something happen to my father?” he asks, perturbed.  “No, Prince Sozin. We are not here for you. We're here to announce the identity of the next Avatar.” Practically everyone began whispering as the proclaimed couple stood in stupefaction. The Fire Sages suddenly bowed in the direction of Roku. “It is our honor to serve you, Avatar Roku.”</p><p>Roku gaped at the declaration with bewilderment. The crowd imitated the maneuver of the Sages and salaamed before him. An astonished Sozin descried the crowd until he knelt at Roku's feet as well.</p><p>
  <em>Soon the day came when my betrothed had to leave the Fire Nation and face his destiny as the Avatar. He needed to travel the world so he could master the other elements.</em>
</p><p>Prince Sozin stood near Roku’s doorway, noticing his dejection as he sat on the bed. “Hey, why aren't you packed yet, all-powerful Avatar?” Roku doesn’t respond and shut his eyes tightly in dismay, brows furrowed. Sozin proceeded to stare at him in shared woe before smiling at an internal postulation.</p><p>He lept into the room, attempting to demonstrate various bending maneuvers. “Come on, show me how it's done using all four kinds of bending!” Roku inwardly appreciated the kind gesture, yet his lament repressed his ability to express it. “I started packing, but then the Fire Sages told me I won't need any worldly possessions anymore.” Sozin looked at the ground. “Oh.” He sat beside the taller boy.</p><p>“It happened so fast. Everything's gonna be different now.” The Prince grazed an arm across Roku’s back in an effort to console him. “So what if the wedding got called off? We’re still writing to each other.” Sozin smiled, lowering his head to peer at the taller boy’s expression with scrutiny and was met with a guise of desperation; reddened eyes and a very discernible wretched frown panging themselves through Sozin’s heart.</p><p>The Prince's smile converted to an appalled lour as he jerks his face away from his leman. “Roku, of course they’re going to allow it!” he halfway screamed, abruptly standing before the Avatar. “You’re not even going to be gone that long, and you could visit me.” Hot tears beaded the corners of Roku’s eyes as he looked up at the Prince, who proceeded his attempts to induce him. “I’m the Prince, I’ll explain this to my father and he’ll just have them break some customs…”</p><p>Sozin rubbed a leaked tear across his cheek with the blunt of his palm, the state of his anguish increasingly detonating the clear youthfulness of his voice when he spoke. “You c-can’t leave, I-I w-w-won’t let y-you,” Roku stood up and knelt in front of the Prince, grabbing his hand in consolation as he met his gaze with a smile; Roku’s hefted cheeks chastening the visibility of his own dried tears.</p><p>“It’s my duty as Avatar to depart from worldly possessions.” The taller boy pecked a kiss upon the back of Sozin’s hand. “And prioritizing the Fire Nation is yours.” Sozin removed the headpiece from his bun and handed it to Roku. “H-here, hope you're at least allowed to have this.” The occasional chokes from his concluded sobs decreased as the Prince twisted his face away from internal mortification. “But this is a royal artifact. It's supposed to be worn by the Crown Prince.” Sozin sighed. “I want you to have it.”</p><p>Roku retrieved the headpiece and placed it over his top knot, sliding in the pin to secure the bun. Sozin grinned. “Now you look almost as handsome as me.” Roku reciprocated the jest with a roll of his eyes and stood up in front of the Prince before the pair bowed to each other.</p><p>
  <em>Twelve long years passed before I saw my leman again. When Roku returned, he was a fully realized Avatar, and I had changed as well.</em>
</p><p>Roku walked down the broad, vermilion carpet leading to the throne of his past suitor. “Sozin! Or should I say, Fire Lord!” Sozin raised an eyebrow in a reproachful moue. “Customarily, my subjects bow before greeting me.” He started to walk down the stairs and unforeseenly spread out his arms when he faced the Avatar. “But you're the exception.” He smiled and both men hugged in reacquaintance.</p><p>
  <em>“After all these years, he was still the love of my life.” Aang and Roku were confronted with a celebrated matrimony displayed throughout the expanse of a courtyard, the attendance of many guests accompanying the engaged swains along with their kindred. “And a few months later, we finished what we had started.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The monk beamed up at Roku with mudita. “Oh, that’s great Roku! But how did you two still hit it off after so many years? And married when you shortly arrived, too!” The older man chuckled. “I was persistent.” His younger self stood beside the Fire Lord. “When love is real, it finds a way.” The attendees clapped as the newly wedded couple bow their heads. “And being the Avatar doesn't hurt your chances with it, either.”</em>
</p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>On wedding days, we look to the future with optimism and joy. I had my own vision for a brighter future.</em>
</p><p>Roku followed his husband near the fringe of the balcony. “What's on your mind?” Sozin raised his fist staunchly. “I've been thinking hard about the state of the world lately.” Roku scoffed and stood behind him, sliding his hands across the Fire Lord’s waist and settling his jaw upon the armored shoulder. “Sozin, it is our wedding! Have a cookie, dance with me, lighten up!” Sozin faintly smiled. “I know, I know, but just hear me out.” Roku tipped his head, prompting him to continue.</p><p>“Right from the start, I was destined to be Fire Lord. And although we didn't always know it, you were destined to be the Avatar. It's an amazing stroke of fate we know each other so well, isn't it? Together, we could do... anything.” Roku’s brows furrowed pensively. “Yeah, we could.” He proceeded to listen to Sozin’s ruminations as they descried the spectacle of their residence. “Our nation is enjoying an unprecedented time of peace and wealth. Our people are happy, and we're so fortunate in so many ways.”</p><p>The Avatar detached his chin from Sozin’s shoulder and turned to face him, resting his forearms on the latter’s acromions instead. “Where are you going with this?” Sozin grinned. “I've been thinking, we should share this prosperity with the rest of the world. In our hands is the most successful empire in history. It's time we expanded it.”</p><p>Roku removed himself from his husband entirely, his expression shifting from revelation to a disparaging scowl. “No! The four nations are meant to be just that: four.” The Fire Lord frowned out of pique. “Hon, you haven't even stopped to consider the possibilities.” Roku narrowed his eyes. “There are no possibilities,” he shuts them in emphasis to his vexation, “this is the last I want to hear about this. I’m going back to our party.” The taller man flounced off peevishly, and Sozin followed suit. </p><p>
  <em>Roku sighed. “That was my first real test as the Avatar. Unfortunately, it had been only a few months into our marriage when I learned that Sozin had gone ahead with his plan in secret; despite multiple arguments on the subject that succeeded the first one.”</em>
</p><p>The Avatar flew over a body of water on Fang until they reached an Earth Nation dock, eyeing an Earth Kingdom fortress with plumes of smoke emerging from the edifice, a Fire Nation insignia strewn over that of the Earth Kingdom. Roku who widened his eyes in revelation and gained instant pertinacity to confront his spouse on the subject.</p><p>He burst through the egress of Sozin's boudoir with steam emanating his presence. Roku’s approaching shadow from the doorway impeded his clash with the Fire Lord as it loomed across the large sanguine carpet.</p><p>“I've seen the colonies, Sozin!” the Avatar rebuked in aggravation, “how dare you occupy Earth Kingdom territory?” He practically stomped towards his spouse. “How dare you, a citizen of the Fire Nation, and its ruler’s <em>consort</em>, address him this way.” Sozin sardonically tapped his fingertips upon the armrest of his throne. “Your loyalty is to our nation first. Anything less makes you a traitor.” Roku shut his eyes tightly and lowered his head, face comprised of bafflement and sorrow. “Don't do this, Sozin. Don't challenge me. Please... it will only end badly.”</p><p>Roku turned his heel to instigate his departure before Sozin evoked a discombobulated glance from the former with a spiteful remark. “You know, I had all the annulment paperwork forged in fear of situations like this.” Irate, the Fire Lord practically leaped from his throne and delivered an immensely puissant stream of fire in the direction of his husband.</p><p>As the flames dissipated, Roku was nowhere to be seen. Sozin widened his eyes in perplexity and apprehension before the taller man ruptured from the ground behind the Fire Lord, revealing his use of concealment below the floor with earthbending in defense against Sozin's attack.</p><p>Roku instantly emanated a blast of wind towards his spouse, causing his body to slam against the gates of the chamber. The Avatar caught Sozin’s fall with a pillar of earth that lifted him into the air, pinning him by the back of his robes to the ceiling.</p><p>The taller man abutted his palms together in front him and immediately entered the Avatar State. He sundered the pillars of the boudoir, leading to the quick dismantlement of an antipode from the palace. Sozin uncovered his face to scrutinize the predicament when Roku upheaved himself into the sky atop an air spout, confronting the Fire Lord once more.</p><p>“I'm sparing you, Sozin. I'm letting you go in the name of our past love. But I warn you,” Roku inched closer to his face in emphasis of the commination, “even a single step out of line will result in your permanent end.” Sozin glared at Roku, his livid expression remaining evident through his scowl before it softened, ultimately lowering his head in accentuated defeat.</p><p>Roku turned to his side and proceeded to glide in the opposing direction of his former lover to which he decoyed; a tear visibly running down the Avatar’s cheek as he soared towards the part of the edifice he didn’t disintegrate in order to evacuate his possessions.</p><p>
  <em>“Sozin and I didn't speak or see each other for twenty-five years after our battle,” Roku reflected, “I spent most of my spare time here, at my home.” Aang glanced at the older man with prominent commiseration. “It was the loneliest I have ever been.”</em>
</p><p>A deafening eruption awaked Roku and he leapt out from the bed, and looked through the window to see large conflagrated terrenes descending the murky atmosphere, rupturing the island once they collided with the earth.</p><p>The Avatar fled the room when his headpiece dropped to the floor with a clank, and was left behind. He emerged from the house to find the air being comprised of soot and ash. Coughing, Roku shielded his face as he peered up at the disgorging volcano of the island. He airbended the pollution from his field of vision and began sprinting towards the slanted fissure of magma.</p><p>
  <em>Roku's island was a hundred miles away. But I could still feel it rumbling and see the black plume of smoke. I had never seen anything like this catastrophe.</em>
</p><p>After entering the Avatar State, he earthbended a tremor through the volcano with a thwack of his fist, fracturing the opposite end of the crater to decelerate the lava flow. Nevertheless, the second volcano abruptly fulminated with magma, to which Roku, no longer in the Avatar State, dropped his head in despondency.</p><p>“Need a hand, honey?” Roku briskly turned around to the direction of such a familiar voice. “Sozin?” The Fire Lord was mounted upon his cerulean dragon, gazing at Roku with a resolute expression. “There's not a moment to waste.” Both men rode on Sozin’s dragon towards the second volcano before Roku bent the percolations of magma into a crater. Meanwhile, Sozin balanced himself on the rim of the vent, solidifying the lava by absorbing the heat and redirecting it into the atmosphere.</p><p>Sozin and Roku temporarily resided on the edge of the crater as a bolt of lightning emitted across the sky, and the earth beneath the Fire Lord immediately grew unstable. He began to fall off the side of the volcano until Roku quickly earthbended a shelf of mantle to catch Sozin. The latter glanced at the Avatar with gratitude before the earth shook violently and another surge of loamy substances burst from the crater, and the two started to run.</p><p>“Don't breathe the toxic gas!” Roku warned. As the pair continued to run, a jet of soot erupted directly beside Sozin and the taller man quickly bended it away to protect him. A torrent of gas suddenly ejected near Roku's face, disorienting him.</p><p>His vision grew blurry and the Avatar felt himself trembling with disablement and perturbation. “It's too much...!” Overwhelmed by the toxicity of the ambience surrounding him, Roku fell to his knees. He tipped his head up enervingly to meet Sozin’s gaze, and extended an arm in a gesture for assistance. “<em>Please<em>.”</em></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <em>The Fire Lord stared at him with rebuking indifference. “Without you, all my plans are suddenly possible.” He looked behind him to acknowledge the arrival of his dragon. “I have a vision for the future, Roku.” Sozin mounted his beast and the two of them flew away. A surge of countless grains of mantle and ash spouted towards the Avatar as dark clouds billowed above the island, Sozin’s dragon vaguely emerging from the plumes of his nebulous sight.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <em>Roku was on his knees now, a series of violent coughs pouring from his saliva induced mouth as he spotted Fang from the right of him. A wave of lethal debris rapidly approached the Avatar as his dragon lowered himself onto the mantle of the volcano and wrapped himself around Roku. The avalanche of loamy substances envelope the pair completely, ridding the old man of his residual sense of dignity and propitiation of his poor forsaken soul.</em>
  </em>
</p><p>
<em>With Roku gone, and the great comet returning, the timing was supposedly perfect to change the world. I knew the next Avatar would be born an Air Nomad. So I wiped out the Air Temples. But somehow, the new Avatar eluded me- just as how his past life eluded my heart. I wasted the remainder of my life searching in vain. I know he's hiding out there somewhere. The Fire Nation's greatest threat... the only person I ever loved.</em>
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